What do you do the eve before Thanksgiving?
If there’s a holiday music special, I’ll put on TV in the background to get in the spirit of the season. This Thanksgiving eve I’ll be baking two pecan pies. One is for the big dinner; the other is a bribe for my trainer to open the gym early on Thanksgiving morning. Here’s my no-guilt theory: exercise at dawn, eat with abandon for the rest of the day.
What’s your number one splurge food?
My Thanksgiving splurge is a tossup between gravy-soaked stuffing (with crusty edges) and the brown-sugar coated yams with toasted marshmallows.
What do you prefer, sweet or salty?
Salty, all the way.
What are your plans for the holidays this year?
I’m spending December at the computer with the characters in the third novel of my Mind For Mystery Series. I’m on deadline so my playtime is on hold. I’ll party when I’m done! But I’ll definitely sneak away to put up a tree, and on Christmas Day I’ll be at the movies then dinner with friends, a tradition our group started years ago.
Which food and drink combo says it's the holiday season to you?
Eggnog and powdered-sugar-dusted Mexican Wedding Cake cookies. Yum!
What are the five tools you must have in the kitchen for Thanksgiving dinner?
Measuring cups and spoons, massive platters, the old black-covered roaster, the potato masher — and my Betty Crocker Cookbook, of course.
Please share a favorite Thanksgiving recipe.
Mexican Wedding Cakes are my favorite holiday cookie, and just bite-sized enough to pop in your mouth after dinner and pie. And they’re a perfect touch of sweet to follow turkey sandwiches all weekend.
1 cup salted butter, softened
½ cup confectioner’s (powdered) sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups all-purpose whole wheat flour (don’t use self-rising)
¼ tsp. salt
¾ cup finely chopped pecans
Heat oven to 400 degrees.
Line baking sheet with parchment paper (or use ungreased baking sheet)
Mix butter, sugar, and vanilla together thoroughly in a bowl.
Work in flour, salt and nuts until dough holds together.
Shape dough into 1-inch balls and set on baking sheet (they can be fairly close, the cookies do not spread during baking.)
Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until set but not brown.
Sprinkle with or roll in confectioner’s sugar while still warm.
Cool.
Roll or sprinkle with confectioner’s sugar again.
If you could have a dream Thanksgiving dinner party, who would you invite?
How fun! If no rules apply, I would invite characters from my favorite novels, one group of characters each year. This year would be my characters from Who Do, Voodoo?, the second year Nancy Drew and her friends, the third year Amelia Peabody’s family, and so on. Oh, do you mean real people? In that case, my dream Thanksgiving would be to have everyone I love, no matter where they live, at the table. Being with those dearest to me would make my heart very happy.
Article comments
1 - Rochelle Staab
Thank you for letting me share about my favorite eating holiday, Diane, but I didn't get the chance to ask what YOU'RE doing for Thanksgiving! Any big plans?